


The pieces fall, one more time

by Keenir



Category: Elementary (TV)
Genre: A.C.Doyle References, Coda, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Post-Season/Series 06
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-25
Updated: 2019-05-25
Packaged: 2020-03-17 04:01:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18957460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Keenir/pseuds/Keenir
Summary: In the wake of Morland Holmes' death, Sherlock has the sympathetic ears of Joan Watson, Janine Moriarty, and Kitty Winter.  And they have his ear as well.





	The pieces fall, one more time

**Author's Note:**

  * For [alexcat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/alexcat/gifts).



"Kitty wants to see us?" Sherlock repeated as they crossed the park.

"Yup," Joan said over the sound of geese passing by, "she said she had something better than a case, and wants to see us."

"And you couldn't deduce anything from the phone call?"

"I figured you wouldn't care about her fixing some microwave popcorn while we were talking, but if you insist."

* * *

"Come in," Kitty said, holding the house door open for them as they stepped inside.  "No Clyde?"

"He's still in the Embassy, going through quarentine," Joan said, taking off her coat and hanging it up; some details about this house - such as that one - were strikingly like those of their old Brownstone.

"You said you wanted to see us," Sherlock said the moment the door was closed.

"Honestly, I'm surprised you waited that long to say that," Kitty said, amused.  "I'm glad to hear the two of you are together now."

"We are not together, we are -"

"I'm not as lucky as you two, but I've been studying since we parted company."

"Congratulations," Holmes said, "which University?"

"Mine," said a voice that they all knew.  A voice two of them hadn't expected to ever hear again.  A voice which one of them knew intimately.

Joan and Sherlock turned from Kitty to look down the short hall, to where Moriarty was seated in the kitchen, waiting for them.  "Sorry to hear about what happened," said the woman who had once been Irene Adler.

"You've been teaching Kitty?" Sherlock asked.

"You're not the only one here smart enough to do so, and you know it."

"Quite right.  Thats why Watson was teaching her before she had to leave the country."

"And there is no reason for that to not resume now that you're here, Joan," Moriarty said; "and in the meantime, I was instructing Kitty in the things which she hadn't yet learned from the two of you."

"Such as how to run a global criminal organization?" Sherlock asked.

"Not as much as you'd think," Kitty muttered.  "Though she's not too good at single-stick, though," Kitty said in an aside.

"I'm still learning," Moriarty agreed.  To Joan, "I'm glad you're okay."

"Why would I not be?" Joan asked.

"Either you've declined in your skill since last time we chatted, or you're not bothering to cover, but you're not feigning ignorance well.  Michael."

_You know?  Well of course you know - you're Moriarty, the legendary M...the Napoleon of Crime._

"I found out too late," Moriarty said.  "Had I not been where I was and engaged in what I was doing, I would have lent you my assistance...even firsthand."

"Well, thanks for the sentiment, at least," Joan said.

"I would've gladly dealt with him," Kitty seconded.

"Thank you."

"Where were you?" Sherlock asked of Her.

"I was facing off against your father," Moriarty replied.

"You gave your word -"

"That I would not make any unilateral or unprovoked moves against him, yes.  Understandable though it is to assume so, it was not I who murdered your father.  He arranged a meeting and convinced me that we needed to resolve the ongoing conflict.  We were of one mind that the organization should not be split in two."

"So what happy outcome did the two of you produce?" Sherlock.

"We were beginning negotiations to have a dual leadership.  Morland and I would share equal amounts of power, favoring different areas - geopolitical, socioeconomic, conflict and biodiversity -"

"Etc, etc, yes, good.  But you and I both know how poorly my father shares anything."

Moriarty nodded.  "As did the people who were dissatisfied with both him and me."  She looked at her feet.  "They got to him, and presented his body to me, like the killers of Darius when they came before Alexander."

"Same outcome?"

"I was more inventive, or I'd like to think so, but yes." _I destroyed them, when they thought they had curried favor and would be spared my attention_.  "One thing I agreed with Morland was that the two of you and your apprentices would be under the protection of the both of us.  Which is why its safe now for the three of you to return to the United States."

_Three?_ Sherlock wondered, then realized She was including Kitty in that.

"Again, my condolences and apologies, Sherlock," Moriarty said, looking him in the eye.

He could see no deception or falseness there.

The doorbell rang.  And in walked a little boy carrying a letter labeled  **S.H.**

"Punctual.  Good," Moriarty said to the boy.

"I was told to come here.  I'm here."

"And what is this?" Sherlock asked regarding the child.

"Morland said that he and I should personally prepare for the possibility that not only might our negotiations fail, but that they turn violent too swiftly for either of us to take the time to send a letter.  If you like, I can show you the one which I wrote for each of you."

"Maybe not now," Joan said.

Holding a letter out in one hand, the messenger said "Your father asked that I personally deliver this to you, Mister Holmes."

Standing beside Joan and Sherlock, Janine Moriarty knew that any refusal or attempt at mindgames would be met with unfailing patience.  _The kid'll wait til Sherlock takes it...or we've got a houseguest who won't take up much room.  His sort of messenger service is trained to wait, as opposed to the sort who are good at leaving messages in blood or bodies._

"Very well," Sherlock said, accepting and opening the letter.  "'Sherlock, I...'"

*           *

_Sherlock, I write this in the knowledge that you may outwit me in this, my final bow._

_Do not mistake me  -  my motives for taking the leadership of Moriarty's organization were precisely as I told you.  Nor did I lie when I gave you reports of my efforts to reduce the organization.  But surgical strikes to excise the entirety piece by piece, they slowly became scalpels to cut away opposition and inefficiencies._

_I will not claim it was my health or advanced age which motivated me to take small advantages here and there as I worked to cut it all down to size; nor was it purely to demonstrate to doubters that I had a stake alongside them in the organization's continuation._

_Habit, perhaps, is closer to the truth; it is so easy to live atop these marvels of interpersonal cooperation that are my empire and the domain which had been Moriarty's._

_I do hope that you and Joan have not perished in the conflaguration which has destroyed Moriarty and myself.  If she yet lives, I trust it is because you and Joan will it, and not by her connivance._

_As I am aware you care little for money, and I dare not flood the world's charities, I have a finer solution: upon my passing, you are the head of my every organization, to use as you see fit - admittedly not entirely dissimilar from what you threatened Moriarty with, but still.   A global consulting agency, perhaps?_

_For all I have not shown it, and for as many other emotions I have displayed better, I have always been proud of the two of you._

_Your father, Morland Holmes._

_*           *_

After a while - which felt both longer and briefer than it was - and sensing that his time alone to stew over every meaning of each word in the letter was at an end, Sherlock said "I knew what he was. I know what he was. And still..."

Joan rested a hand on Sherlock's shoulder. "You asked me once why I didn't disown my father when he wrote that book based on the two of us."   _I haven't really thanked Janine for buying every copy of that book...and the publishing company...and its parent company.  "_ Its because I didn't just know him when he was being shocking, acting without permission and not clearing things with me."

"You could hardly have stopped him without foreknowledge of what he was up to," Sherlock said.

"And how well could you stop your dad from doing his little secret stuff?"

"A point," he granted.

"And my point is that I knew what my dad was like on more than just his bad days.  You and Mycroft may not've had the fullest social calendar with your father, but you did spend time with him; good days and not-so-good days."

* * *

"I may not've known him as well as you did," Kitty said, "but very few people deserve a backstabbing.  From what I can tell, your father wasn't that bad."

A smile. "A sussinct description."

"Also, welcome to England."

"Thank you, but you forget I was born and bred here."

Kitty snickered.  "Yeah, but not as a married man."

"I am not -  We are n-  Watson and I -"

By now, Kitty was laughing, that rare sound from her.

"You're enjoying this entirely too much," Sherlock said.

"No I'm not."

* * *

"Hey," Joan said, joining Moriarty in the kitchen.  "You okay?"

"Sherlock needs that more."

"Not just him."

"You're forgetting, Watson, that my way of handling complicated feelings has had only two good results:  he met you and Kitty."

"I didn't forget.  Or that that was then; and you've learned from that."

"This is true.  Whats also true is that Morland made an enemy of me."   _'Before our truce and negotiations_ ' was understood and thus could go unstated.

"He's been Sherlock's enemy most of his life."

"Sherlock's more tolerant than I."

"Tolerant?"

"Forgiving, then?"

"Ehh," Joan said, taking a chair.  "Just tell him what you told me.  He'll understand."

"He's good at math," Moriarty said.  "Were that all I'd have to face, I would.  Right now."

"But?"

"But his heart has a problem.  Even his heart and his logical mine together aren't a problem to me - I would face them," she confirmed.

"He cares for you," Watson said.  "Even after your presumed death and return, I'd say he cares for you more than he did for Morland."

"I don't doubt you," Janine said.  "But, Michael aside, you don't hold grudges to the same degree.  The mind that is a weapon can cut the self and others with equal severity."

"You're not wrong," Sherlock said, leaning against the door frame.

He looked at Her and at Joan, who looked at Sherlock and Janine, who looked at Sherlock and Joan.

"Okay, I'm going to order us all a pizza," Joan said.  "Try not to be in the same places - spatially or otherwise," she felt needed to be added, "when I come back.  Oh, and also, try not to plot out each other's moves and words ten turns ahead.   ** _Talk_** ," and left them to it.

"She does have a point," Sherlock said.

Moriarty nodded.  "Easier to predict the actions of most people, than to deal with them."

"Indeed," Sherlock nodded.  "Now, you recently mentioned that both my logical brain and my heart were not an obstacle.  I'll reiterate that I'm curious, and ask what hurdle stopped you?"

"I had all my resources, and I failed to stop your father's murder.  That's what," Janine said.  "As good as I was at connecting the dots and filling in the blanks, I didn't see it before I could use hindsight."

"You're forgetting my father had at least as many resources and cognative faculties, and he too was unable to prevent it."

"Yes, but he is dead.  And the dead are easier to forgive."

"Only most of the time.  And while I may be giving you additional lengths of emotional rope, I believe you."

She blinked.  "Why?"

"You don't lie," Sherlock said.  "You misdirect and dissemble with the skill of Morland himself, but I cannot see you benefitting from his death as it stands."

"Oh?"

"You had no reason to tell us as much as you did, nor to mention that you avenged his passing; you are once more sole master of your organization regardless of how he died."

"Maybe I just don't want you as an enemy," Janine said.

"I considered that, but I also know that you aren't suicidal, and placing yourself in close proximity to an upset me in a fully-furnished house is not the action of a healthy intellectual."

"Thank you," She said.

"For what?"

"Your trademark honesty."

"And thank you," for what?" She asked.

"For walking me through what Watson would likely call some of the phases of my grief."

"I'm glad we can still help each other.  Friends?"

"I think we've always been friends," Sherlock said.  "Tense as circumstances were at times."

* * *

After the pizza had been eaten and minor tales told to one another, it was time to part company for now.  Gathering at the door, "Any time either of you need a consulting detective," Kitty said, "give me a call."

"What about a babysitter?" Sherlock asked.

"So long as its not for Clyde."

Meanwhile, Janine said, "As a wise man once said, expect me when you see me."

"You're always welcome here with us," Joan said.  "Both of you," looking at Kitty.

"Ditto," Kitty replied.


End file.
